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Two-dimensional metallic CoTe2 flakes for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

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Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) metallic 1T-CoTe2 has attracted considerable attention due to its fascinating physical properties and promising applications in electronics and catalysis. However, the production of high-quality 2D 1T-CoTe2 still remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate a methodology to realize the facile synthesis of ultrathin, high-quality CoTe2 flakes with a thickness down to 2.3 nm on mica substrates by an ambient-pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. The atomic arrangement is verified by scanning transmission electron microscopy. The theoretical calculations uncover the metallic characteristic of 1T-CoTe2 in the 2D limit. Remarkably, the CVD-derived 2D metallic CoTe2 flakes for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst exhibit admirable performance, such as an overpotential of 186 mV at 10 mA·cm−2, a Tafel slope of 78 mV·dec−1, an exchange current density of 69 μA·cm−2, and negligible performance degradation after 1000 cycles. These results establish novel approaches for the synthesis and HER application of 2D metallic 1T-CoTe2.

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摘要

二维（2D）金属性1T-CoTe2因其迷人的物理性质以及在电子和催化领域具有重要应用而受到广泛关注。然而，高质量2D 1T-CoTe2的制备仍然具有挑战性。在此，我们通过常压化学气相沉积（CVD）技术，展示了一种在云母衬底上合成厚度薄至2.3 nm的高质量CoTe2薄片的简便方法。利用扫描透射电子显微镜，获得了1T-CoTe2的原子排列。此外，理论计算揭示了2D极限下1T-CoTe2的金属特性。值得注意的是，CVD合成的2D金属性CoTe2薄片用于产氢反应（HER）催化剂时表现出优异的性能，如在10 mA·cm−2时的过电位为186 mV，Tafel斜率为78 mV·dec−1，交换电流密度为69 μA·cm−2，且经过1000个循环后性能基本不衰减。这些结果为2D金属性1T-CoTe2的合成和HER应用建立了新的方法。

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 12204166).

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Author notes

  1. Yu-Qing Zhao, Qian Liu and Bo-Jian Zhou have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physics and Electronics Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, **angtan, 411201, China

    Yu-Qing Zhao

  2. College of Metallurgy and Energy, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063210, China

    Qian Liu

  3. Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Bo-Jian Zhou

  4. School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Bei**g, 100191, China

    Guang Yang

  5. Quantum Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangdong), Shenzhen, 518045, China

    Shao-Long Jiang

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  1. Yu-Qing Zhao
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Correspondence to Guang Yang or Shao-Long Jiang.

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Zhao, YQ., Liu, Q., Zhou, BJ. et al. Two-dimensional metallic CoTe2 flakes for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Rare Met. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-024-02790-x

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